Karnataka staring at floods due to heavy downpour caused by active southwest monsoon

Bengaluru: The active southwest monsoon has created a flood scare in Karnataka with many small streams overflowing following the downpour.

In the wake of heavy rainfall, authorities today announced holiday for schools and colleges in nine districts -- Belagavi, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Hassan, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu, official sources said.

The Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert in all the three coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada.

The department said that there will be temporary disruption of electricity in some areas, minor traffic snarls and possible damage to ‘Kuccha’ and unsecured structures.

Orange alert has been announced for Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, while Belagavi, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Hassan are on yellow alert.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.

With rivers and rivulets in spate, many waterfalls have come alive attracting tourists.

A 23-year-old youth, Sharath Kumar from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district, who went to Arishinagundi waterfall at Byndoor in Udupi district to make an Instagram video, was swept away as he stood on a rock just at the edge of the waterfall and slipped. Search operations are underway to trace him.

As heavy rains continued to lash different parts of the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi, water-level in many rivers in the region kept rising in the last two days submerging low-lying areas.

Water levels in Nethravati, Phalguni and rivulets in many parts of DK district are posing threat to people living near the river banks. A few families have been shifted to safer places in Bantwal taluk, official sources said.

A large area of areca nut plantations have also been submerged in the taluk causing concern to the farmers.

The bathing ghat of Kukke Subrahmanya temple has been submerged with the level in Kumaradhara river rising to the danger mark and devotees have been asked not to visit the shrine till the rain subsides.

The Manjeshwar-Subrahmanya state highway remains flooded disrupting movement of vehicles on the route. Copious rains have also been reported from Addahole, Kollamogru, Subramanya and Bisile in DK.

Sources said a landslide that occurred on a hill at Karvalu area in Udupi district is posing threat to a high-tension electricity tower which carries 110 KV KPTCL overhead line.

However, officials said necessary precautions have been taken. If the tower gets damaged, there are chances of power supply getting affected in areas including Manipal, Brahmavar, Kunjibettu and Udyavar.

Officials said that as a precautionary measure, the old line of Manipal-Hiriadka has been activated and installation is in progress from Sunday itself.